The Ruined Cities Of Ceylon

About the Book:-The aim of this book is to acquaint the reader to the beautiful remains of the architecture and a civilization of 2000 years ago. The book starts with a historical description of the sites and the treats each sight through a topographical lens. The cities described are Sigiri, Dambulla, Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Kalavewa, Minneri and Polonaruwa. To few Europeans in Ceylon is the subject of the present volume more than an empty name, and to the most well informed at home the ruined cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa have never entered into the region of the actual. If these pages are fortunate enough to arouse some interest in wonders with which only the remains of the ancient civilization of the Valley of the Nile can in any way be compared, the present volume will have received its only justification. It is somewhat difficult at this day to realise the conditions of existence of the Singhalese more than two thousand years ago, but the attempt must be made, however imperfectly, if we are to understand the remains that we are about to explore. The book was profusely illustrated (65) with photographs and a map of Sri Lnaka taken by the author in 1896 to make the book an interesting one. The author trusts, however, that the collotypes here used will be found adequate for the purpose of giving a realistic idea of the present state of the ruins. He has introduced three additional illustrations of work which has been completed since his first edition was published. The book was first published in 1905.